Seat armrest

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an armrest (10) for a seat, in particular for a vehicle seat, having a base (11) to which at least one container (18) having a cavity (27) is allocated, having an arm support (12) that is pivotable relative to the container (18) between a lower end position and an upper end position, having an arm support face (13), wherein at least one housing wall (19a, 19b, 19c) is allocated to the arm support (12), said housing wall (19a, 19b, 19c) being connected to the arm support (12) so as to move therewith in such a way that it closes an intermediate space arising between a stop face (25) of the arm support (12) and a support face (26) on the base part (11) when the arm support (12) pivots up, wherein the arm support (12) comprises an opening (16) through which access to the interior space (27) is possible.

The invention relates to an armrest for a seat, in particular the seatof a vehicle. A vehicle within the meaning of the invention can be anair, land or water vehicle.

An armrest is known from DE 101 10 330. The armrest is part of a centerconsole and comprises an arm support part that can be adjusted forwardand backward and comprises an opening that is closed using a lid that ismovable between an open position and a closed position. The arm supportis held on a height-adjustably mounted frame, in which a storagecompartment is formed.

In DE 100 32 657, a center console with an armrest is described. Underthe armrest, a first stowage compartment and a second stowagecompartment are formed. An arm support is pivotable about a pivot axisand can be opened in such a way as to allow access to the first orsecond stowage compartment. In an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, thearm support is allocated to an external housing 30 that is verticallyadjustable in relation to an internal housing 28. The adjustment takesplace using guides and can form a straight or a curved path.

From DE 196 43 051, a coverable container for seat-side allocation invehicles is disclosed. The container comprises a housing 10 with ahousing opening 101 that can be closed by an arm support 11. The armsupport 11 is pivotably mounted and can be locked in various pivotpositions.

From DE 10 2008 005 642, an armrest is known that is formed in a centerconsole of a motor vehicle. The armrest comprises a receptacle that isin a pivotable housing. The receptacle can be closed by a pivotable lid.In addition, a control panel is allocated to the housing that islikewise pivotable with the housing.

It was the object of the present invention to create an armrest having asimple construction, wherein an arm support can be set in variouspositions.

The object was achieved by an armrest having the features of claim 1.

The armrest comprises a base part that is in a fixed manner relative tothe vehicle. The base part can be formed e.g. by a center console.Alternatively, the base part can be formed e.g. by a frame or a housingthat is arranged such that it is secured to the vehicle. A container isallocated to the base part, said container forming a cavity in whichobjects can be accommodated. The container comprises an opening viawhich the cavity is accessible.

On the base part, an arm support is held pivotably relative to thecontainer. The arm support forms a pivot joint with the base part, forexample. The arm support is pivotable between a lower end position andan upper end position. In the lower end position, a stop face of the armsupport lies in contact with a support face of the base part. When thearm support has been moved from the lower end position toward the upperend position, the stop face is at a distance from the support face. Inthe upper end position, for example a stop face of the arm support and astop face of the base part or of another part that is secured to thevehicle cooperate.

The armrest comprises a locking device with which the arm support can bereleasably locked in various pivot positions in steps or continuously.The locking device can be adjusted between a locked position and areleased position by an actuation. The locking device comprises firstlocking means allocated to the base and second locking means allocatedto the arm support that can be releasably engaged.

Housing walls are allocated to the arm support that close anintermediate space between the arm support and the container when thearm support is pivoted up. In other words, when the arm support is movedfrom a lower end position to a position in which the arm support hasbeen pivoted by a particular pivot angle toward the upper end position,the intermediate space between the arm support and the container isclosed by the housing walls such that an additional space is createdthat forms a tunnel that connects an opening of the arm support to thecavity of the container.

The intermediate space can be formed e.g. between a stop face of the armsupport and a support face of the base. In the lower end position, thestop face and the support face are then in contact. In this way, thecavity of the container can only be reached via the opening.

According to one embodiment, the opening of the arm support can beclosed by a lid that is movable between an open position and a closedposition. The lid is mounted pivotably on the arm support, for example.The lid can have one or more parts. The lid can be movable in anyposition of the arm support between the open position and the closedposition.

The opening is e.g. in a region of the arm support face of the armsupport.

An outer face of the lid forms e.g. at least part of the arm supportface. For example, the entire arm support face can be formed by theouter face of the lid. Alternatively, for example, only part of theouter face of the arm support can be formed by the outer face of thelid.

At least one slot is formed in the base, for example, in which slot thehousing walls can be at least partially stowed. In this way, the housingwalls are not visible in the lowest position of the arm support but onlymove out of the slot when the arm support pivots up.

The housing wall delimits the cavity with regard to at least threespatial directions, for example. The housing wall can be formed byseparate parts or by one part.

The housing wall forms a tunnel, for example, in such a way that thecavity of the container is accessible only via the opening of the armsupport. The tunnel connects the opening of the arm support and theopening of the container to each other, for example.

The lid can be formed e.g. in one piece or has e.g. at least two lidparts that can be moved together or separately.

The arm support is pivotable e.g. between the lower end position and theupper end position over a pivot angle of about 20° to 45°.

On a front end region, facing away from the pivot axis, the arm supporthas e.g. a control panel for switching and controlling equipmentinternal and/or external to the vehicle.

An embodiment of the invention is described by way of example in thefollowing description of the figures, with reference to the schematicdrawings. For the sake of clarity—including where different embodimentsare concerned—identical or comparable parts or elements or regions arelabeled with identical reference signs, with the addition of lower-caseletters in some cases.

All features disclosed are, in their own right, essential to theinvention. The disclosure content of the cited documents and of thedescribed devices of the state of the art is hereby incorporated in fullinto the disclosure of the application, including for the purpose oftaking up individual or multiple features of the subject mattersdisclosed there in one or more claims of the present application. Suchmodified embodiments—even if they are not illustrated in thedrawings—are also comprised by the invention.

The figures show the following:

FIG. 1: a perspective diagram of the armrest where the arm support is ina lower position and the lid is in a closed position,

FIG. 2: the armrest according to FIG. 1 where the arm support is in anupper position,

FIG. 3: the armrest according to FIG. 1 where a lid is in an openposition,

FIG. 4: the armrest according to FIG. 2 where the lid is in the openposition.

FIG. 5: a side view of the armrest according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 6: a side view of the armrest according to FIG. 2,

FIG. 7: a view according to arrow A in FIG. 5,

FIG. 8: a sectional view according to section line B-B in FIG. 7,

FIG. 9: a view according to arrow C in FIG. 6,

FIG. 10: a sectional view according to section line D-D in FIG. 9.

An armrest as a whole is labelled in the figures with the referencenumeral 10.

The armrest 10 is in a vehicle e.g. in such a way that a longitudinalcentral axis m of the armrest 10 extends parallel to the directions x₁and x₂, with the directions x₁ and x₂ corresponding to the forward andreverse directions of travel respectively. The armrest 10 can be e.g.between two seats in a front row of seats or between two seats in a backrow of seats of the vehicle. Alternatively, however, other arrangementsand orientations of the armrest 10 are also possible.

The armrest 10 comprises a base 11 that in the present example is partof a center console. An arm support 12 is held on the base 11 pivotablyabout a pivot axis S and forms a pivot joint G1 with the base 11. InFIG. 1 the arm support 12 is shown in the lower end position. FIG. 2shows the armrest 10 with an arm support 12 in the upper end position.From the lower end position according to FIG. 1 the arm support 12 ispivotable in a direction u₁ into the upper end position. From the upperend position according to FIG. 2 the arm support 12 is pivotable in adirection u₂ into the lower end position.

A back end region 23 of the arm support is located close to the pivotjoint G1, while a front end region 22 is located on a side of the armsupport 12 facing away from the joint G1 with respect to a central axism.

The arm support 12 comprises an arm support face 13, on which a vehicleoccupant can rest his arm. A control panel 14 is in a front region ofthe arm support face 13. On the control panel 14, various operatingelements can be controlled with which different vehicle functions orseparate equipment, such as telephone, music equipment that is internalor external to the vehicle etc., can be switched or controlled.

Furthermore, the control panel 14 comprises an actuation of a lockingdevice 15 of the armrest 10. The actuation takes place here at a frontend of the control panel. In the upper and lower end positions as wellas in intermediate positions, the arm support 12 can be releasablylocked by the locking device 15. The locking device 15 comprises firstlocking elements (not shown here) allocated to the base 11 and secondlocking elements (not shown here) allocated to the arm support 12. Thedesign of the locking is known to a person skilled in the art. Nofurther details of the locking will be given here.

According to FIG. 3, the arm support 12 comprises an opening 16 that canbe closed by a lid 17. In any pivot position of the arm support 12, thelid 17 can be moved between a closed position (see e.g. FIG. 1) and anopen position (see e.g. FIG. 3). The type of lid 17 is unimportant forthe invention. Lids other than the lid 17 described here can also beused.

In the present embodiment the lid 17 is a so-called butterfly lid thatcomprises two lid parts 21 a and 21 b. The lid part 21 a is pivotableabout a pivot axis S2 (see FIG. 3) that extends parallel to the centralaxis m and is in a side region 24 a of the arm support 12. The lid part21 a forms a pivot joint G2 with the base 11. The lid part 21 b ispivotable about a pivot axis S3 that likewise extends parallel to thecentral axis m and is in a side region 24 b of the arm support 12. Thelid part 21 b forms a pivot joint G3 with the base 11.

According to FIGS. 5 and 6, in the lower end position of the arm support12 a stop face 25 of the arm support 12 lies in contact with a supportface 26 of the base 11. As can be seen in FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 10, in theupper end position as well as in intermediate positions between thelower end position and the upper end position the stop face 25 is at adistance from the support face 26. An intermediate space between thesupport face 26 and the stop face 25 is covered by housing walls 19 a,19 b and 19 c.

According to FIG. 8, the base 11 comprises a container 18 with a cavity27 and an opening 30 facing the lid 17. The cavity 27 is accessible viathe opening 16 of the lid and the opening 30 of the container 18 whenthe lid 17 is in its open position. In the closed position of the lid17, the cavity 27 is completely closed off and inaccessible to a user.

The housing wall 19 a forms a partition of the cavity 27 in thedirection x₁ and the housing walls 19 b and 19 c form partitions in thedirections y₁ and y₂. In this way, an additional space arises betweenthe housing walls 19 a, 19 b and 19 c, the pivot joint G1 and betweenthe arm support 12 and the container 18, forming a tunnel 29 to thecavity 27 that is accessible via the opening 16. The housing walls 19 band 19 c are formed approximately at right angles to the housing wall 19a.

All the housing walls 19 a, 19 b and 19 c are fastened to the armsupport 12 and connected thereto so as to move therewith. The housingwall 19 a is fastened to the front end region 22 and the housing walls19 b and 19 c are fastened to the side regions 24 a and 24 b of the armsupport 12. According to the embodiment, the housing walls 19 a, 19 band 19 c are formed by one part. Alternatively, however, they can alsobe formed separately.

A slot 20 is allocated to each housing wall 19 a, 19 b and 19 c, ofwhich only one slot 20 is visible in FIGS. 8 and 10 that serves as astowage space for the housing wall 19 a. In all positions of the armsupport 12 between the lower end position and the upper end position, atleast a region of each housing wall 19 a, 19 b and 19 c is in the slot20 that is allocated thereto. Thus, each housing wall 19 a, 19 b and 19c closes the cavity 27 of the container 18 and forms the tunnel 29.

Each slot 20 forms a wall 28 to the cavity 27, so that parts located inthe cavity 27 cannot come into contact with the housing walls 19 a, 19 band 19 c, thereby being damaged or impairing the movability of the armsupport 12.

1. An armrest for a vehicle seat, the armrest comprising: a base; acontainer on the base, having an upper support face, and forming a acavity opening upward at the upper face; an arm support having a lowerstop face and pivotable relative to the container between a lower endposition with the lower stop face resting on the upper support face ofthe container and an upper end position spaced above the upper supportface; an arm support face on the arm support; and a housing wall carriedon and projecting downwardly from the arm support into the cavity, thehousing wall being connected to the arm support so as to move therewithin such a way that it closes an intermediate space formed between thelower stop lower face of the arm support and the upper support face onthe base part when the arm support pivots up, the arm support beingformed with an opening through which access to the cavity is possible.2. The armrest according to claim 1, further comprising: a lidengageable over the opening and movable between an open position givingaccess to the opening and a closed position blocking the opening.
 3. Thearmrest according to claim 1 claim 1, wherein the opening is in a regionof the arm support face.
 4. The armrest according to claim 2, wherein anouter face of the lid forms at least part of the arm support face. 5.The armrest according to claim 1, wherein the base is formed with a slotin which the housing wall is accommodated in each position between thelower end position and the upper end position of the arm support.
 6. Thearmrest according to claim 5, wherein the slot forms a wall to thecavity.
 7. The armrest according to claim 1, wherein the housing wall isformed by a plurality of panels formed in one piece or separately. 8.The armrest according to claim 1, wherein the lid comprises two lidparts each lid part is pivotable about a pivot axis that extendsparallel to a longitudinal axis of the armrest.
 9. The armrest accordingto claim 1, wherein the arm support is movable between the lowerposition and the upper position at a pivot angle of about 45°.
 10. Thearmrest according to claim 1, further comprising in a front end regionof the arm support a control panel on which a seat occupant can controloperating elements.
 11. The armrest according to one of claim 1, whereinthe housing wall forms a tunnel in such a way that the interior space isaccessible only via the opening of the arm support and the tunnel. 12.The armrest according to claim 5, wherein the arm support and armsupport face are pivotal about an horizontal axis at a rear end of thearmrest, the wall being of U-shape and having a pair of flat sidesections flanking the cavity and a front-end section bridging front endsof the side sections.
 13. The armrest according to claim 12, wherein theslot is upwardly open and U-shaped complementary to the wall.
 14. Thearmrest according to claim 13, wherein the U-shaped slot has an innerwall forming an outer wall of the cavity.